A tiny 14-legged, salmon sushi-looking sea parasite, happens to be the biggest hit at the Aquamarine Fukushima in eastern Japan. The crustacean has orange and white markings on its back and a white underbelly, similar to salmon sushi. This mere inch-long creature belongs to crustaceans \u2018isopods\u2019, which makes it a part of the family of crabs, shrimps, and lobsters. Its genus is Rocinela. The other members of this species feed on the dead, decaying animals, but not this superstar of Aquamarine Fukushima, as it likes to parasite on the sea creature and feeds on their flesh. Unlike other dull or brown-looking members of this genus, it is a cute-looking bright salmon-colored creature. It was captured by fishermen off the coast of Rausu, Japan, and sent to Aquamarine Fukushima in late July<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The blood-sucking parasite, made into the news after the aquarium staff identified the creature as an isopod and shared the picture in a Twitter post<\/a>. And after the picture went viral, the visits to the museum have grown in number as they want to witness this queer-looking creature. The post featuring the crustacean received nearly 29,000 likes, compared to the average 500 earned by its mammal and marine neighbors\u2014perhaps the only time a parasite stole the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n